Worry pt 2

Although my son in law is still in the hospital, everyone is slowly improving. Thanks for your prayers.


trust pushes worry out

Jesus said, do not worry. How can it benefit you? Can you add a moment to your life? Can you make yourself taller?

We all worry. And, we all trust. We just wish that we trusted God more often than we worried. I have noticed something: when trust arrives, worry leaves. When we take the time to really think that God is trustworthy, worry leaves.

You can't think about two things at the same time. It is impossible to do so. Think about how big a problem is and God shrinks away. Think about trusting God, and worry gets smaller. When trust arrives, worry leaves.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - -  

The trip to the Italy link is back up and working

click here for the brochure

Worry

As you can imagine, I have been talking to lots of family members lately about worry. I ran across some old posts that I am going to re-share...

First an update:  Bobby is still in the hospital but doing a bit better. Alli has pneumonia and is at home. 4 year old granddaughter Bella also has pneumonia. All are on medication and are moving slowly in a better direction.  Thank you for your prayers.

Most humans worry. Worry is buying trouble. It is being concerned about something that has not yet, and may never come to be.

We worry about our kids. We worry about our health. We worry about politics. We worry about what others think of us. We can become totally consumed with our issues, especially if it involves our kids.

So here is what I am thinking..... for conversation sake lets say, yes there is a real problem with this or that. But, do I really want to spend the next 20 years being worried sick about that thing? Can I add one inch to my height by worrying?

Fact of the matter is, when we allow ourselves to be consumed by worry, we become completely turned in, self consumed, and self absorbed. We can no longer help others or care in a Christlike manner because we are lost in our problems. When we worry, God is not glorified. When we worry, we are choosing to live our lives in a mash of sorrow and concern and folks God hopes for better for us.

Yes I am concerned for my kid, or what ever my problem is, but I still have to give my life to God today. Lets love those we are concerned about. Lets pray for them. But then let us put them down and get on with life. There are scores of people out there in life today who are waiting for you to reach for them.

Let go of your worry so that your heart and hands are free to embrace this glorious life that God has given us.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

no eggs

A couple of updates.

My son in law is slightly improved today. My daughter Alli now also has pneumonia but is not hospitalized. Bella the 4 year old has an ear infection. We are all so fortunate to live in a time when doctors can do so much and medicine is so much better. Cathy flew to Chicago today to help out. I will keep everyone posted.

Italy trip Nov 2025. For some reason, the link to the brochure is now broken. I am working with the tour company to get this fixed. If you would like, I can mail you a paper copy.

Now on to today's post...

I stopped at the grocery store about 11am. I didn't need eggs, but I was a bit surprised to see that there were no eggs. None. Usually at least the premium expensive ones are in stock but not today. No eggs.

I am sure on the neighborhood app and Facebook, someone will complain about the lack of eggs just like they did about the store being out of coleslaw.

Good grief.  We Americans are so spoiled.

We will have eggs again. If we don't, then we will all start raising chickens again. And coleslaw? We could make it from scratch like my mother did.

The lack of eggs and coleslaw reminded me of this, one of my favorite quotes:

“This is the true joy in life,
the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap of life…
and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod
of ailments and grievance,
complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

George Bernard Shaw

If we look hard enough, we can always see the good.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

prayers please

So we are back from our trip.  Thanks for your understanding of me taking time off of the blog.  While out on this cruise ship however, we have developed a bit of a family crisis.

My son in law, Alli's husband Bobby Lascon is in the hospital in Chicago.  Evidently the whole family, Alli, Bobby and both kids had covid, and then all four had the flu.  But Bob's took a turn for the worse.  

He has pneumonia in all 4 lobes of his lungs.  He has a condition called empyema where pus collects around your lungs.  He has a tube in his chest cavity now.  He also has water around his heart and the cardiologist is watching him closely.

Cathy is flying up to be with Alli.  The rest of us are praying.  As Alli said, "you know, you expect this at 85, not at 37."

Thank you for your love and prayers.  Our crew is hurting right now.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

taking a short break

Hi I am currently on a cruise ship.  I am not going to worry about posting this week.  I will pick up my duties on Dec. 28 or so.  If I get a post up before then, well, good for me.  But I am not counting on it.  I am planning to just take it easy and not worry about the blog until I get back.

Bless you for understanding!

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

why the poor get stuck

I was talking to a young adult not too long ago.  They did not understand why poor people can't just move to better parts of the country.  Why do poor people stay poor?

I got a perfect example of how people get stuck just the other day.  I bought a used pickup.  A great truck, from my friend Paul.

I took it in to firestone for some work.  They told me that if I got their credit card, I could save $100.  Great, I am in.  It is also 6 months no interest.

They printed out the terms for me.

34% interest.  39% if you are late. WHAT???

Wow!  We will pay on time and not be late.  We will have this thing paid off so that we never have to pay that interest.  But imagine that you need work on your car and you don't have the cash.  You take out the card.  And you make the minimum payments... or you miss one... pretty soon, massive interest charges are piling up.

And then, before you get it paid off, your vehicle breaks down again.  And you add to the balance.  It is a never ending circle for the working poor.

Maybe they didn't go to college.  Maybe they are just shy of the average IQ.  Maybe they did not have parents to support them and cover them in difficult times.

Whatever the situation, there are lots of people in our world that have trouble catching a break.  34% interest does not help.

The moral of this story is this... work hard and pay your bills.  Get a second job if you need it.  And be very understanding of those who still have trouble making ends meet.  There are a lot of good people in this world who were dealt different cards than you and I were.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - - -

Here is the link to the Italy trip that I am leading in November of 2025

click here for the brochure

attitude

Lately I’ve noticed that when I have a bad attitude, everything during the day sucks-

And when I get up in the morning, and I have a better attitude, somehow the sun comes out and things are better.

It’s almost like the attitude that I bring to the table predisposes how I will feel about the day.

It's probably true.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading a trip to Italy in November of 2025

click here for the brochure

why

Why are we here?

I have just started watching the Netflix series "Churchill at War."  Winston Churchill believed that he was put on this earth to save England and to save the world from Hitler.

What a good feeling that must be to know that you are here on this earth for a purpose.

What is my purpose?  I mean, me, Jeff?  Well I could tell you that I served a purpose for 30 years as a Methodist pastor.  That was really fulfilling.  But it is over now.

I could tell you that I fathered three children and had the privilege of raising them.  That is truly a noble purpose.  But now that is pretty much over as well.

So what is my purpose?  What will be yours after you retire?

... you guessed it... we are here to show kindness.  Saving England is wonderful.  Raising children is fantastic, if it is done with kindness.  

At the end of the day, the trait of genuine kindness will bring joy and purpose to any life.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

- - - - - 

Here is the link to the Italy trip that I am leading in November of 2025

click here for the brochure

Italy

I am officially announcing a group tour to Italy for next year, November 4-13.

I went on this trip 8 years ago and it was fantastic. There are so many wonderful things to see. Ancient Rome and the Vatican museum are amazing. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Catholics roamed the Mediterranean area and collected some of the most amazing artifacts. The museum also hosts items presented to the church over the last 2,000 years.

On this trip you will see: Lake Garda [beautiful], Verona, Venice [a must see in this lifetime], the Piazza San Marco, the Basilica of St. Mark, the romantic Bridge of Sighs, Pisa [the tower is really cool... it is actually a church bell tower], Lucca, Florence, San Gimignano [fantastic little city], Siena, Assisi, the magnificent Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Circus Maximus, Arch of Titus, famous Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Constantine, and much more!

The link to read more or to register is below... Let me know if you have any questions or if you are interested in going.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Here is the link to the Italy trip that I am leading in November of 2025

click here for the brochure

judgment

One of the most difficult things in this life is to be judged by other people.  It just hurts.  And for most of us, who try to be nice, we try to set aside the mean things that people say, but it still hurts.

I came across this quote and I love it.

Don't worry about the judgment of others.  They are telling you their story, not yours.

You see, their hateful attitude, their demeaning manner just tells you about them.  You have a right to tell your own story.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

make sense

One of the reasons that we humans have problems with Christian belief/theology is that a good deal of it does not make sense.  Or some of it is mutually exclusive.

For example... we say that slavery is bad [and it is,] but the Bible condones it.  We say we believe the Bible, but it condones slavery.  We say that God is love, but then he will also send you to hell to be tortured for eternity. 

It's can't all be true.  Either God is a god of love or he is not.

Pastors and teachers have come up with doctrines and beliefs for years.  They pull from all kinds of places in the bible without much consideration of the consistency of the ideas.

We in the pews are just not supposed to ask questions.  Many don't ask questions.  Personally, I don't think that God is offended by our questions.  

I do think that many of our pat answers that have been offered to the world can be offensive.

We do not have to have all the answers.  It is ok for us to question beliefs and to choose our beliefs.  Personally, I am taking a stand on the basic truth that God is love.

God is love... that comes first.  All other beliefs and doctrines have to fall in after that.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

My mom

So my cousin Rob Wagner found this old picture and sent me a copy.

My grandma and grandpa are on the right.  Julius and Louise Heising.  In the center of the picture is my uncle Ken - he was in the navy.  His first wife is back row on the right with the dark hair.  I never met her.

The three youngster on the left side are my mother in front, then uncle Ed and Aunt Jewel.

I am guessing this picture to be 1949-1950ish.

It is an interesting feeling to see my mother as a teenager.  Before she knew my Dad, before she had children, before she lost three of them.  She was just a kid.

Melancholy.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Christmas wish

Some of my KC friends support a charity called Phoenix Foundation.  It helps very needy families in the Kansas City area.  They help through out the year, but of course they help at Christmas.

My friends shop for the needy family's gifts.  One friend stores the gifts in his workshop.  I was working there one day this week and I saw the pile of presents.  

This is just some of the presents...  

I was also amazed at the numbers of packages of paper towels and toilet paper. 

I asked one of the donors about this.  Evidently, the parents ask for clothes and such for their kids, but for themselves, they only ask for the basics.

Imagine that for Christmas, you asked for paper towels.

We are so fortunate.  We have so much to be thankful for.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

how we think

People have lots of divergent thoughts about religion and spirituality.  Some of my friends have left the United Methodist Church for more fundamentalist leanings.  That is their choice.

But I do want to say this... 

"When the gospel becomes defined by rules and salvation formulas, the core of love is lost."  Me

Never lose the core of love.  They will know we are Christians, not by our formulas, but by our love.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

sunrise #2

The day my sunrise pictures posted, I got these pics from my friend Shawna.  I love it that many of my readers are thinking the same thing - "look for the beauty of God in every day moments."

Then, five minutes later... even more beautiful!!!

My pics were from Columbus, Ohio.  Hers are from Lee's Summit [KC] MO.  It just goes to show you that the amazing witness of the Lord at work in this world is available anywhere that people are simply paying attention.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

your eyes

how are your eyes doing?  Stop and ask yourself, how do your eyes feel?

I never ask that.  I just take it for granted that my eyes are fine and that they will feel fine.  Or better, they will do their job and I won't feel them at all.  I usually don't feel my eyes... they just do their thing.

This changed last week.  On Thursday, I was working on Judy's fence in Sebastian, FL.  I pushed some bushy branches aside and pushed in towards the back of the fence.  I was wearing my glasses, but somehow, one of the little branches got by and swept over my face.  Suddenly I was aware that a leaf was in my eye.  My left eyelid was closed and an entire leaf was in my eye.

I stopped.  I carefully pulled it out.  I could feel it scraping.  I thought, "this is not going to be good."  Sure enough, within an hour, my eye was irritated and hurting.  The leaf had scratched it pretty good.

We should not take our eyes for granted.  We should give thanks every day for the ability to see.  In general, we take way too many things for granted.

The eye was upset for a couple of days, finally it started to feel better.  Now it is back to normal.

Dear Lord, may we not take the simple things for granted.  

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

awareness

So I was driving last week between Cincinnati and Columbus Ohio.  I left when it was dark.  It was cold and I was thankful for a heated seat and heated steering wheel in the rental car.

Cold, drab, gray winter day. Cold, drab, gray winter day.  Repeat.

Then I saw it.  Out of the corner of my eye... a bit of pink... the pictures do not do it justice...

It was amazing.  Just a small reminder of the beauty of God's world if we but pay attention.

What will you see today if you are looking?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

when you want to leave

This is another post about high demand churches.  I guess that my brain is stuck there right now.

Sometimes people leave churches.  It is going to happen.  People change, and they have a right to their own spiritual journey.  They have a right to move on if that is what they feel is best for them.

We had a couple leave the Ft. Pierce church not too long ago.  The church was very gracious to them and I know that they would be welcomed back if they wanted to return.

When I was pastor at Woods Chapel, we were always gracious to those who wanted to leave.  Sometimes they even came back.  Nothing is to be gained by hurting those who want to move on.  Grieve their loss, sure, but don't hurt them.  Love comes first.

Then there are churches that will shame you if you want to leave.  They will tell you everything that is wrong with the new place that you want to go.  Some groups will shun you and be hateful.  Some will tell your friends to no longer associate with you.  I hope you hear the unhealthiness in such behavior.

If you are a part of a group and you want to move on, do not let any guilt, shame or shunning stop you.  Church groups that practice such behavior are not doing the work of Jesus.

Love comes first.  Always.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

certainty vs ambiguity

These discussions come up from time to time... why are the more conservative churches growing?  My answer is simple and clear- many people in this world need structure, and conservative churches will line your life out for you.   Some people also need a sense of certainty.  They just want someone to tell them how it is.  Conservative churches will do this for you.  In many of them, the pastor has little or no education whatsoever.  In some denominations, all you have to do to become a pastor is to tell the congregation that you are feeling "a call."  But if you want to know for certain, there are churches that will tell you how it is.

The problem is, they don't know how it is, anymore than I know how it is.  God is not an idea, a person or a god that can be controlled.  He is by nature bigger than us and so there will always be questions and ambiguity about this life and our relationship to God.

I personally am comfortable with ambiguity.  I don't have to know it all.  Heck, if I know everything about God, that makes God pretty small.  I am fine with knowing that he is bigger.  I am fine with knowing that there are some things that I will not have the answer to in this life.

For me, to pretend that you have the answers is just that- pretend.  If you talk to Christians that seem to know it all- run the other way.

I am totally fine with falling into the joy and mystery of a God who is bigger than me and my questions.  To me, that is the essence of loving God and the core of the concept of worship.

I don't need certainty.  I am fine with ambiguity.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Versions of Christianity that I have known

Christianities that I have known

I was raised on conservative Lutheranism, and this is my experience of that upbringing… Go to church, dress for church, help when you can. Go to the rescue mission once a year during Christmas. Believe the right things. Sing in church. Don’t fall asleep during the service. Go home after church and live your life. Only worry about church on Sundays. These thoughts are my experience only.

Later, I followed my mother into a fundamentalist cult like sect. Raise your hands, praise the Lord. Look the other way when the preacher steals the money. Don’t ever question church leadership. We are in, others are out. Judge them, recoil from them, have the pat answers. During this time I attended worship where demons were cast out of people [supposedly.] Needless to say, those few years affiliated with that group left a mark on me that I am still trying to navigate.  It was complete craziness!!!

Then I found the United Methodist Church. It is a big church where many diverse people live under a very large umbrella. In this phase of my Christian journey, I learned about love. I learned about accountability. I learned about authenticity. I learned about trying to apply your faith not just on Sundays, but every day, every time to every person. The UMC isn’t perfect, but it has been a good home to me.

We all have our own spiritual journeys. I hope that you are brave enough to move on if you find yourself in an abusive or highly demanding church. It is ok to move from one phase of your life to another. God is not offended by our growth toward grace. Don’t be ashamed of your past, and don’t be afraid to carve out a new path for your future.

It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.

The Way

Jesus set the example.

Jesus showed us how to love and how to live. He taught us to give and forgive.

He overlooked the faults and sins of others.

He was self-less. He showed us what sacrifice means.

Anyone who can follow that way of living is saved.  If a person can follow that example, they are a true Christ follower and will find a life that truly is life.

Living by these principles is living the abundant life.

It is a wonderful way of living. That’s why early Christians called their faith, “the way.”

It’s a beautiful day in God’s world, be sure to see the good.

No more turkey

I actually said this... "I don't think I can eat turkey one more time."

There were left overs after thanksgiving.  We like to eat leftovers.  We hate to waste food.  But if you are like me, after a while, I have this feeling... "I have eaten that for 4 days in a row, I cannot eat it again."

Then I stop and think... how arrogant.  Gosh, there are people here in my city that would love to eat these left overs.  Heck there are people around the world, that live in food scarcity.  Some of them have never eaten chicken or turkey.

And I am tired of eating it?  Shame on me.

We need to stop and remember how much we have.  We need to think really hard about how the rest of the world lives.  It just might make us a little more grateful.

And gratitude if a very very very good thing.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

reward and punishment

Richard Rohr wrote recently about the church's paradigm of reward and punishment. He told this story-

“The Angel with the Torch and the Pail.”

An angel was walking down the streets of the world carrying a torch in one hand and a pail of water in the other. A person asked the angel, “What are you doing with that torch and pail?”

The angel said, “With the torch I am burning down the mansions of heaven, and with the pail I am putting out the fires of hell. Then, and only then, will we see who truly loves God.”

And I add... only then will we come to know and believe in a God that loves us.  Just plain loves us.


Most Christians believe that we will be punished if we are bad and we will be rewarded if we are good. This is why so many people live and die in fear. It is also why many people live their lives feeling that they are not good enough.

I no longer believe that God will torture people forever in a hell.  Isn't it time to come to believe in a God that truly loves us?

Let's rid our lives of the carrot and the stick.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good. 

prayer

I came across this prayer by Dr. Randy Woodley... I found it to be profound...

"I am humbled that I will never know everything about you [God], but I am grateful that through the lives of others I can know more of you. While I thank you for those who are like me, I especially thank you for those who are different than me. I thank you for those who are younger than me and those older than me; for those who have less than me and those who have more than me; for those more physically able than me and those less physically able than me; for those whose skin is of a lighter hue than me and those of a darker hue than me; for those of a different gender than me and those of the same gender as me; for those of a different worldview than me and those with a similar worldview to mine. May we together discover a new story for our country where everyone has an equal voice—even those with whom we disagree and even with those who have no voice."

Something to think about.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

perspective is everything

Perspective is everything.  What do Israelis think about the war with Hamas and Hezbolla?  What do Palestinians think about the war?

Perspective is everything.

Now, I love thanksgiving.  It is probably my favorite holiday, but I read this the other day and it reminded me that perspective is everything.

"While Americans celebrate Thanksgiving as a harvest festival following colonists' survival, Indigenous people observe the holiday with sadness, since it commemorates the European immigration influx that ultimately took away their lands and cultures."

We may not agree with other's perspectives and we may not like their thoughts and feelings, but I think that it is important to remember that there are more ways to see the world than the way that we see the world.

We will never understand others until we take the time to consider their perspective or walk a mile in their moccasins.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.

Nothing to buy

I used to rush out on Black Friday.  I used to rush for the "bargains."  I remember one year, probably 2002ish, I walked into the Kohls store in Independence at 4:15am.  There was this kitchen appliance that was on sale.

I walked past the already long line and went back to the kitchen area.  I was lucky to pick up one of the last items.

Then I got in line.

Evidently, the line was well over an hour long.

For $10 off.

I decided that it was not worth it to me to wait in that line.  I put the item back and went home.

Over the years I have bought things on black Friday and cyber Monday.  This year, I am reading the ads and I don't see anything that I want.

That is a good thing.  Wanting less is a good thing.  Maybe I finally have everything that I want?

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.